Nets To Sign DeShawn Stevenson

The Nets are doing their best to fill out their roster and surround Deron Williams and Brook Lopez with as many able pieces as possible. This week they’ve signed Public Enemy No. 1 to bolster their frontcourt, and this morning comes word that they have reached a deal with free agent DeShawn Stevenson.

So why did they move to sign a 30-year-old swingman who has been on five teams in 12 seasons to add to their already-crowded backcourt?

The hope here is that Stevenson will bring some toughness and defense to the team from the SG/SF spots. While they have lots of perimeter guys in the mix right now (Deron, rookie MarShon Brooks, Anthony Morrow, Jordan Farmar to name a few), they don’t have anyone who can/will get after somebody on defense. At the very least, they know Stevenson won’t back down from anybody.

The deal is reportedly for one year at $2.5 million – a relative bargain for a guy who started 52 games for the Mavs last year. Plus, they get this.